


Marshmello Songs

by DonnaClaireHolmes



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: BBC Merlin AU, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, I'll add tags as I think of them, Multi, Pre-Accident
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-02-06
Packaged: 2019-10-22 14:00:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17663984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DonnaClaireHolmes/pseuds/DonnaClaireHolmes
Summary: Listening to songs by Marshmello and getting a lot of Stephen vibes, so decided to write some fics.





	1. Alone

_**I'm so alone** _   
_**Nothing feels like home** _   
_**I'm so alone** _   
_**Trying to find my way back home to you** _

Her boyfriend was the Sorcerer Supreme, but that didn’t bug you all too much seeing as she was the London Sanctum Master. They switched between sleeping in London and in New York to be with him. One day, something called her back to London early in the morning so the most she could do was kiss Stephen’s cheek as she ran out the door. It was a minor intrusion; someone tried to break in by smashing a rock through a window, but it was enough to keep her there talking to the police for a long while.

By the time afternoon came she opened a portal back to New York to see that the main staircase in the Sanctum had been destroyed, like something crashed into it. Wong was cleaning up the mess and Stephen was nowhere to be found.

“Wong?” She asked, walking up to the sorcerer who simply stood there and shook his head. “I told him I would protect this Sanctum in his absence…. I didn't really think he’d be gone.” Tears filled her eyes as he spoke. “What do you mean, _gone_? Wong, where is Stephen?” She demanded, but all the other sorcerer did was point to something floating in the sky. It looked like a donut, and there was a small red fleck flying towards it. She quickly wiped her tears and headed for the door. “He’s going to be back…. I’ll make sure of it, Wong.” She said to her friend as she ran outside, using a piece of scrap metal as a sort of plate to levitate.

It worked, getting her up to the side of the spacecraft, but the air was getting thin fast. Her hands glowed a faint purple as she ripped a hole in the metal, walked inside, and closed the hole behind her. As she turned she was face to face with one of Tony Stark’s blasters, that is until the Cloak of Levitation wrapped itself around her. “Oh god, I’m so glad you’re alright.” She told the fabric as she stroked it, turning to Tony in a meantime. “Where is he? Where’s Stephen?” At this point a young man in a vaguely familiar suit came swinging up to the two of them. Peter Parker and Tony helped her rescue Stephen from an alien with shards of glass that looked all too familiar to her. Once Stephen was safe, she ran up to him and pulled him into a kiss. 

"Stephen Vincent Strange, _never_ try to fight aliens without me again." She said with a smirk on her face. "I promise." He chucked and they kissed again. From what was being said, this Mad Titan was no joke. She knew Stephen could handle himself in a fight but was still worried. "What if you hide the stone in a star?" She whispered to him while no one else was around. "I was thinking the same thing.... Achernar?" "Achernar." They smiled as Stephen muttered a spell that transported the time stone into the heart of the ninth brightest star in the sky. 

The fight on Titan had begun, and the two sorcerers managed to occupy Thanos' time for a good portion of the fighting. Towards the end, Thanos had managed to grab her by the neck in the Infinity Gauntlet. "No!" Stephen yelled as he ran towards him, ready to fight. The Titan backhanded the sorcerer, causing him to fall backwards against some rubble. "Pesky sorcerers.... Do you want to know what happened to the last person who tried to use magic on me, witch?" He asked, and she answered by spitting in his face. Thanos smirked, "I broke his neck." With as much force as he could muster, he crashed her body onto the ground, making a terrible cracking sound and leaving her a good inch or two pressed into the dirt. 

Tony was currently fighting the Titan and Peter managed to get to her side before Stephen. "Miss, don't move.... It's going to be alright, I promise." The teen tried to remain calm as he picked her head up into his lap. Stephen slid next to her on his knees and immediately held her face. Closing his eyes, he scanned her body for injuries.... so many injuries.... "Stephen, I can't move my legs..." She began to cry as she picked up an arm to touch his face. "I never should've let you come...." He muttered as he opened a small portal to the New York Sanctum. Stephen kissed her one last time before gently sliding her body through the portal right at Wong's feet. 

"Stephen?! Stephen!!!" She yelled as the portal was closing at her feet. "I love you...." Stephen said just before the portal disappeared. She sat up and tried to open another portal. Not even a spark appeared. She tried to conjure a weapon, to manipulate metal, to try and throw something at Wong who was only trying to help her and.... nothing. Neither sorcerer could tell at the time but the injury she received to her spine had caused her ability to use magic to break as well. 

Without her powers, without her legs, and without her boyfriend. At the hospital, Christine recognized her and assisted her and Wong as best as she could. A week later she returned to the New York Sanctum in a wheelchair, unable to walk again. Thanos had one the battle on Titan and in Wakanda, proceeding to destroy half of the universe. They heard no word of Stephen, or even of Tony or Peter.    

Even with the sorcerers that didn't turn to dust, both Sanctums just felt so empty. She rolled herself around and sat in the libraries, reading up on the planet of Titan, the Infinity Gauntlet and anything that could help her, but there wasn't much. Wong found her one day in the New York Sanctum library asleep with her head in a book. He carried her gently to Stephen's room and tucked her into bed. She woke in the morning with a hot cup of tea on her nightstand and Wong sitting in a nearby armchair with a book. 

"He's not coming back..... is he?" She asked in a low voice. Wong sighed as he closed his book, walked over to her and pulled Stephen's favorite quilt back up over her. "We can only hope." The sorcerer nodded as he walked out. She sat there in silence as she drank her tea, it was Stephen's favorite blend. She started to tear up, closing her eyes and thinking of him, the last time she saw him. As she sat there, small purple butterflies appeared flying around the bed. It was a spell Stephen had taught her a few weeks ago, and she nearly fell out of bed when she realized what she was doing.

"But..... my magic...." She muttered to herself, extremely confused and sadder than ever. She balled her hands into fists at her side and continued to cry. "Stephen.... Stephen, I'm so alone. I'm trying to fix this, to get you home but.... God, I'm so alone here, Stephen....." Her cries turned into sobs and she fell over into one of Stephen's pillows. It still smelled like him, which calmed her enough to open her eyes in time to see the light blue butterfly land in front of her face. She gasped, recognizing that color anywhere, and let the creature climb onto her extended finger. The butterfly looked at her, as if it was sending her a message. 

_I'm trying to find my way back home to you...._


	2. Sing Me To Sleep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This song is originally by Alan Walker, but Marshmello did an amazing remix of it.

_**Wait a second, let me catch my breath** _   
_**Remind me how it feels to hear your voice** _   
_**Your lips are movin', I can't hear a thing** _   
_**Livin' life as if we had a choice** _

_**Anywhere, anytime** _   
_**I would do anything for you** _   
_**Anything for you** _   
_**Yesterday got away** _   
_**Melodies stuck inside your head** _   
_**A song in every breath** _

_**Sing me to sleep now** _   
_**Sing me to sleep** _   
_**Won't you sing me to sleep now?** _   
_**Sing me to sleep** _

The young knight ran through the halls of the castle, his boots echoing loud enough that it gave people time to move out of his way. A servant boy with a familiar red scarf caught up with him as they entered the kitchen. “Are you sure she's here today? I thought she went home for the weekend.” Merlin asked. Stephen simply turned and smirked at his friend. “She's here…. I can smell her handiwork anywhere.” He was right, of course. Taliya was at the far end of the kitchen pulling apple tarts out of the oven. She smiled when her boyfriend came into view, placing the tray down and greeting Stephen with a kiss. 

“Merlin, would you like one too?” She teased when the servant caught up, slightly out of breath from chasing Stephen. Merlin waved one hand while the other steadied himself on the wall. “Christ, Merlin, sit down.” Taliya pulled over a stool for her friend. “So, I've requested a meeting with King Arthur this morning.” Stephen beamed as he placed his hands on Taliya’s hips and kissed her once again. “Are you serious?!” She asked, her eyes wide and mouth open. After a moment she jumped up and wrapped her arms around Stephen’s neck. The knight spun them around and after she was set down, Taliya leaned over and kissed Merlin’s cheek. “I know you had a hand in this…. how can I ever repay you.” 

“You just gave me a seat, I think we’re even.” He chuckled, even as she threw a towel at him. “I'm serious, Merlin…. if Arthur agrees, we want Gaius to marry us, and we want you in the wedding party.” Taliya beamed, smiling as Stephen held her tightly. Later that afternoon the three of them met in Merlin’s room to discuss things that shouldn’t be heard in public…. Illegal things. 

Taliya sat on the edge of Merlin’s bed with a ball of flames resting in her hand. She tossed it to Stephen, who not only caught and maintained the flame, but changed the color several times. They both were sorcerers, and they were indebted to Merlin and Gaius for not only keeping their secret, but sharing their knowledge with them. 

“How much longer do we have to hide all this from Arthur?” Stephen sighed, closing his fist around the flame as he leaned against a wall. "Not much longer..." Merlin tried to sound optimistic, but he knew having Arthur accept magic after all these years would be difficult.

Hopefully, with three people close to Arthur all admitting they have magic might encourage him to change the laws… or it would make him more upset than ever. 

“ _ Marriage _ ?” Arthur asked with a smirk as Stephen and Taliya stood before him holding hands. Taliya stared at the ground while Stephen never broke eye contact. “You want me to allow the marriage between one of my best knights and one of my best cooks? And two of my best friends?” It was only the four of them in the room, so they could be a little more honest with each other. Arthur stood from his throne and walked up to Stephen with a cold look on his face before grasping his free hand and breaking into laughter. “You should’ve seen your face. Of course I’ll allow it, hell I’d officiate it if I could.” Taliya practically jumped into Arthur’s arms and kissed his cheek. “You’re such a softy…. Thank you, Arthur.” She smiled as she went back and hugged Stephen. 

“Well then,” The knight smiled, “I guess I can finally do this now.” Stephen smirked as he dropped on one knee and pulled a simple silver band from his pocket. “Taliya Brune, would you do the honor of becoming my wife.” Merlin and Arthur stood to the side with overjoyed smiles on their faces. Taliya took a second to think, mostly to make the boys in the room anxious, before leaning down and gently kissing Stephen’s lips. “Would that answer your question, good knight?” “Yes, ma’am.” Stephen slipped the ring on her finger, and the four friends spent most of that afternoon with a bottle of wine in Arthur’s chambers. 

The next morning Arthur was alerted of an ambush that was headed towards local villages in search of sorcerers. Merlin’s heart was in his throat as Stephen was one of the first to volunteer to scout with him. “Are you sure? These bandits, from what I’ve been told they’ve been destroying every village on their way…. With the wedding, I don’t think Taliya would ever forgive me if I brought her an injured fiance.” “We already spoke, sire. She knows what protecting the kingdom means to me.” “Very well then. Come on, Merlin!” The king called to his servant and the three met the rest of the nights at the outer gates. 

It was a quick ride to the village where the bandits were spotted. Merlin kept to the side on his horse and, as usual, used a bit of his magic to prevent Arthur from getting hurt. This time he focused a bit on Stephen as well. The sorcerer-turned-knight had gotten off of his horse at the edge of the village so he would be able to weave in and out of the battle. He had one bandit on the edge of his sword  when something happened that even Merlin couldn’t have predicted in a crystal; one of the bandits snuck up behind Stephen and pulled him down to the ground by his collar as another bandit rode through on his horse and….

“Stephen!!!” Merlin cried as he ran over to his friend. One hoof had pierced through Stephen’s side and he was losing a lot of blood. “Stephen, can you sit up? Come on, Stephen, we need to get you back to Gauis… to Taliya.” The knight looked up at the name of his fiance. He tried to sit up but only cried out in pain. The rest of the knights chased off the bandits and regrouped. Arthur ran to Stephen’s side, but almost threw up at the sight. “There’s a carriage over here. We can get him back to Gaius. Merlin, ride ahead and warn Gauis…. And Taliya.”  Merlin grabbed Stephen’s hand and squeezed it before standing. “I’ll see you soon.” 

Merlin sprinted as fast as he could through the castle to the kitchen. Taliya was cleaning up some dishes when the servant grabbed her arm and pulled her along, running to Gaius’ chambers. “Merlin, what are you doing?!” She tried to get him to answer but he remained silent till they were with Gaius. “Stephen’s been injured…. trampled by a horse…. I tried to stabilize his wound but Arthur ordered me to ride ahead. They’ll be here soon, but I wanted to warn you.” He looked at Taliya, who grew paler as he spoke. Tears welled in her eyes as Merlin pulled her into his arms. “I’m so sorry…. I tried to protect him…. I tried.” Merlin began to choke up as well, but the sound of the horses outside told him that he needed to get ready for work. 

The knights carried Stephen in on a stretcher and placed him on a table Gaius had cleared. They removed his shirt which revealed several large bruises scattered along his chest and stomach. He was bleeding internally, and there was only so much that could be done. Gaius placed a pillow under his head and gave him something for the pain, but it was only a matter of time. 

“Taliya…” The dying knight barely could manage whispering, but it was enough to get his fiance’s attention. She ran to Stephen’s side and grabbed one of his hands in both of hers. “I’m here… Stephen, I’m here.” Tears continued to stream down her face as she noticed Stephen’s breaths getting slower. “Sing…. Sing me to sleep….” He requested. Taliya let out a sob but composed herself enough to sing a quiet lullaby as her fiance died. When she finished, she rested her head on his chest and brushed her fingers through his hair. 

Merlin was the first to walk over to her. As soon as he placed a hand on her shoulder she turned into an embrace and cried into his tunic. Stephen was buried in the knights cemetery on a small hill near the castle. Taliya visited every day and sang the same lullaby. It hurt Arthur and Merlin to not only lose their good friend, but to see their other good friend grieve him. “We have to do something…. I’ve relieved her of her duties in the kitchen for another month. She refuses to eat, she hardly communicates. Merlin, you’ve always been able to connect with her better than I could. Take the rest of the day off and take her somewhere, like a day trip.” Arthur suggested with a smile, and Merlin knew exactly where to go. 

“Merlin, I don’t want to go.” Taliya tried to protest as Merlin stood in the doorway of her room. She was fully dressed, and spent her days staring out of the window. “It’s by orders of the king.””It’s by orders of the king that Stephen’s dead!!” The girl snapped, clenching her fists which ended up throwing several items around her room. A quill ended up lodged into the wall right next to Merlin’s head. “Fine…. Let’s get this over with.” Taliya huffed as she followed Merlin. She didn’t know how to ride, so they shared a horse on their little adventure. 

The two left the horse at the entrance to The Valley of the Fallen Kings, and Taliya held Merlin’s hand tightly as he led her to a hole just wide enough to fit a person. A little further inside, they came upon the Crystal Caves. Taliya looked around in wonder at all the crystals on the cave around her. Merlin stepped up to her side and held her hand. “Promise me you won’t freak out.” “Merlin, I’m not in the mood for ga…” As Taliya spoke, Stephen’s spirit appeared in front of them. She pulled her hand away from Merlin’s and started staggering back until she tripped on a rock and fell backwards. Then she started crawling backwards. “Merlin, stop it! Stop it this instant! It’s not funny!” Taliya cried, tears streaming down her cheek again. Merlin knelt next to his friend and helped her stand. 

“It’s not a game… I promise you, Taliya, it’s not a game.” He explained as they walked back over to Stephen. Other than being completely pale blue he looked….happy. “I should never have left you darling, I’m so sorry.” Stephen said holding his hand out and showing the two of them a small piece of crystal. The spirit before them picked the gem to his mouth and whispered something into it before dropping it in Taliya’s hand. “I’m always with you, Taliya. I always will be.” Stephen smiled as he faded away.

For the first time in many days, she cried tears of happiness. She finally had closure. A week later Merlin spotted Taliya sitting in the courtyard with the piece of crystal she had since turned into a necklace. She was holding it to her ear. When the servant asked why, she handed it to him and motioned for him to do the same. It was Stephen’s voice, singing the lullaby Taliya sang to him. 


End file.
